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Monday, May 26, 2014

Review: Cure for the Common Breakup

Beth Kendrick is one of my auto-buy authors. I absolutely adored the
first two I read by her and bought the last three as soon as they were released
(it was convenient that they're released around my birthday). When I got the
chance to review her newest, Cure for the Common Breakup, I jumped at the chance. It was exactly what I expected, and wanted, and
I loved it.

Here's the synopsis:

Flight attendant Summer Benson lives by two rules: Don’t stay with the
same man for too long and never stay in one place. She’s about to break rule
number one by considering accepting her boyfriend’s proposal—then disaster
strikes and her world is shattered in an instant.
Summer heads to Black Dog Bay, where the locals welcome her. Even Hattie
Huntington, the town’s oldest, richest, and meanest resident, likes her enough
to give her a job. Then there’s Dutch Jansen, the rugged, stoic mayor, who’s
the opposite of her type. She probably shouldn't be kissing him. She definitely
shouldn't be falling in love.
After a lifetime of globe-trotting, Summer has finally found a home. But Hattie
has old scores to settle and a hidden agenda for her newest employee. Summer
finds herself faced with an impossible choice: Leave Black Dog Bay behind
forever, or stay with the ones she loves and cost them everything...

I wasn't sure what to think about Summer at first. She seemed like a
bit of a self-absorbed blonde who was more interested in how she looked than
anything else. She's definitely a bit like that but as the story went on, you
realize that she's so much more. The reader learns more about her just as she's
learning to share more of herself with others. I really liked seeing her become
a mentor to Ingrid and finally settling down.

I absolutely loved Black Dog Bay. I'm a small town girl and I just love
reading about small towns in books. Even though I'm sure I'd get annoyed with
all of the weepy and love obsessed women, I do like what the town is trying to
do. Like they say, they're not really about love and heartbreak, they're about
healing. And if healing includes locking a cell phone in a drawer, going to the
Whinery (how fun is that bar name?), and burning the remnants of a failed
relationship? Well, bring on the drinks and roast me a marshmallow! Kendrick
obviously had fun creating the town. Not only the shops but also the history.
It was all very detailed and I loved it.

It was easy to predict who Summer would end up with but that was ok.
Like I always say, I don't mind if the end result is predictable as long as the
journey is interesting. This journey definitely was. It wasn't easy for Summer
to "land" Dutch and he came with some extra baggage in the form of
his teenage sister. Plus, Summer ends up having to become a companion to one of
the world's most bitter old ladies. I really looked forward to seeing how
Kendrick would weave everything together and make sure she gave readers the
ending they wanted.

Beth Kendrick remains one of my favourite authors. I absolutely adored
every minute I spent reading Cure for the
Common Breakup. I cannot wait for her next book and I hope that she'll end
up in Toronto some day!

*An eARC of this novel was
provided by BookSparksPR in exchange for an honest review.*